UBEC Launches Five-Year Plan To Strengthen Inclusive Basic Education

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has initiated the development of a 5-year national inclusive education implementation framework aimed at enhancing inclusive basic education delivery across Nigeria.

Executive Secretary of UBEC, Aisha Garba, explained that the move is part of the Federal Government’s commitment to providing quality and inclusive education in the country.

Garba, who was speaking on Wednesday at the Stakeholder Engagement and Development of National Inclusive Education Implementation Framework in Abuja, stated that the stakeholder engagement, which brought together experts in special and inclusive education, technical officers from various ministries, departments, and agencies, development partners, and non-governmental organisations, was crucial in crafting the ambitious national implementation framework on inclusive basic education.

She noted that the framework’s development is a collaborative effort, with working groups expected to produce a detailed roadmap covering disability-friendly classrooms, assistive technology, and community outreach.

According to Garba, the initiative is a decisive step towards making basic education in Nigeria truly inclusive and not just universal in name.

The plan, she said, aims to align and pool resources across sectors to eliminate duplication and gaps, strengthen the capacity of teachers and support staff, and establish robust monitoring mechanisms to track progress and adjust strategies in real time.

Garba urged participants to be open, critical, and innovative in their contributions, seeking a framework that addresses local challenges while adhering to global best practices.

“For over a decade, the Commission has observed the landscape of special needs education with keen interest and, admittedly, some concerns. While we have made strides, our efforts have often been fragmented.

“The era of working in silos is over. The Basic Education State Action Plans require the Commission to work with relevant stakeholders to ensure that inclusive basic education is accessible to all learners, regardless of their physical, intellectual, or sensory challenges.

“We need a unified strategy for deploying human and material resources so that a child in a rural school has the same chance of inclusion into schools as a child in the city, since there will be available child-friendly schools everywhere,” she said.

Also speaking, Chairman of the Governing Board of UBEC, Sen. Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, noted that the development of the national inclusive education implementation framework aligns with the current administration’s commitment to ensuring no child is left behind, regardless of their condition or background.

On her part, Acting Director of the Department of Special Programmes and Early Childhood, UBEC, Dr Chijioke Onwuzurike, stated that the framework is expected to serve as a roadmap, moving the nation from policy statements to practical action, ensuring that “Education for All” truly means all, regardless of ability or disability.